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Greek press freedom drops, global index shows

Greek press freedom dropped in 2013 according to a Reporters Without Borders report released on Wednesday, as the country took 99th place, down 14 positions from last year. The Greek ranking reflected the results of the ongoing financial crisis and outbreaks of populism, the report noted.

The organization’s World Press Freedom Index, which highlights the negative impact of conflicts on freedom of information and its protagonists, covers 180 countries.

The list was topped by Finland, the Netherlands and Norway - unchanged from last year’s rankings - while Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea, stood at the bottom of the index.

In Greece, the report said, journalists were often victims of physical attacks by members of ultranationalist Golden Dawn.

The organization also attributed the country’s ranking to the Greek government's decision to close down state broadcaster ERT last year, under pressure from the country's lenders known as the troika.

“Prime Minister Antonis Samaras seems to be cutting back on democracy to save money,” the report noted.